New KUHN fertiliser spreader and min-till drill at Doe 2016
KUHN Farm Machinery will be displaying its new Axis fertiliser spreaders and ESPRO minimum tillage seed drill at the 2016 Doe Show from 2nd to 4th February at Ulting near Maldon in Essex.
The Axis .2 series of fertiliser spreaders sees several improvements being made to KUHN’s popular range of twin-disc mounted spreaders. Key improvements include increased hopper capacities and a redesigned chassis which offers up-rated payload capabilities. A new LED rear lighting system is also included.
The new range includes four models:
Axis 20.2
§ 28 to 36 metre working width
§ 1,000 to 2,300 litre hopper capacity
§ increased payload: up from 2,100 kg to 2,300 kg
Axis 30.2 and 40.2
§ 12 to 42 metre working width (up to 36 m for granulated urea)
§ increased hopper capacity: up from 3,000 to 3,200 litres
§ increased payload: up from 3,000 kg to 3,200 kg
Axis 50.2
§ 18 to 50 metre working width
§ two new hopper capacities: 3,200 and 4,200 litres (up from 3,000 and 4,000 litres)
§ increased payload: up from 4,000 to 4,200 kg
The new spreaders are equipped with wear resistant VXR+ coated spreading pallets as standard and use KUHN’s CDA (Coaxial Distribution Adjustment) system for accurate spreading at high speeds.
The Axis .2 series also uses KUHN’s EMC (Electronic Mass Control) technology to meter fertiliser flow and all machines in the range are equipped with KUHN’s Varispread (VS) variable working width technology as standard.
ESPRO
Also at this year’s Doe Show will be the recently launched KUHN ESPRO: a 6-metre minimum tillage drill which can be pulled by a 200 hp tractor and drill accurately at forward working speeds of up to 17km/h.
Duncan McLeish, UK Sales Manager for KUHN Farm Machinery explains that forward operating speed is a key priority when drilling new crops and that the ESPRO enables increased productivity without the loss of seeding accuracy. “The ability to drill quickly is vital to ensure that crops are sown when soil conditions are at their best,” he said. “But this speed should never be at the expense of drilling accuracy. Nor should it compromise overall operational efficiency, which means horsepower requirements should also be a consideration.”
The ESPRO uses two rows of 460mm concave discs to open the soil, incorporate all residues into the surface layers and create a fine tilth, even in heavy conditions. These discs are followed, in the centre of the drill, by a row of 900mm diameter press wheels which create an evenly consolidated soil profile for consistent soil-to-seed contact.
The large diameter of the press wheel helps to reduce the overall rolling resistance of the ESPRO, with the deep-treaded tyres also augmenting improved soil crumbling for a finer tilth. The tyres also feature a specially designed square profile to ensure uniform consolidation across the machine’s full working width. The press wheels are also arranged in a front-to-rear offset design to further reduce rolling resistance, with 85mm inter-wheel spaces helping to minimise soil bulldozing and maintain good soil flow.
The ESPRO uses KUHN’s CROSSFLEX seed bar and double disc SEEDFLEX coulters for precise seed placement and uses a headland management mode to automatically lift the machine’s working elements in sequence on approaching headlands to allow drilling to continue right up to the field edge.
Additional options include track eradicators, front press wheels, pre-emergence markers and hydraulic or pneumatic brake systems.
“All in all, the ESPRO features all the elements required to enable time-critical seed drilling operations to be carried out quickly and accurately,” Mr McLeish concludes.